Headed for Colorado and Utah

Back in July I headed to Eastern Utah to see my family and we made a quick trip up to Ouray Colorado. I am just getting to it now, because, well, summer seems to fly by and leave before I know it. I had a lot of things planned this summer that are not getting done. This was suppose to be my summer to become a better photographer, and make tons of home improvement. My goals have pretty much crashed and burned- but I still have a week or two to complete them right? Yeah, I wouldn't double down on that bet.

Anyways, I've gotten distracted. I left my hubby and headed out with my mothers family for a quick get-a-way. It was lovely. Once we made the 7 hour trek up to see the family, we left the next day to go to Ouray Colorado. I had not been here since college and it was good to be back. B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L.

Enough said.

If you have not traveled here before, be fore warned. The road to get there is crazy fun, and just a little plain crazy. Not fun at all if you get car sick, as some of my cousins did in our van. But, it is was a good view, even if it was right next to a cliff the whole time without any rails.


Once we got there we went swimming in the hot springs (yea, not going to post a pictures of that).

We Picnicked,

we went walking around town ,

we went shopping,

We hung out at our rented cabin,

We went to visit box falls,

and then our quick little journey to Colorado was over :( But we still had a ton fun back in Utah.

We went swimming again up at dry lake while my cousin played with his new fishing boat,

(I love this picture. not only does it show how pretty it is up by my grandparents cabin, but it also says a little something like " I'm a hick and proud of it." Makes me smile and giggle a little.)

we saw crazy tiny toads,

and even went 4wheeling. Sadly my camera was out of batteries by the time we got to this part of our journey, but I think I took some video. My camera batteries died because somebody decided to have a little photo shoot, but that is okay.

It was such a lovely extended weekend. I love getting out and playing in the muck and mud and just having a great time with my family. I am so glad I went, and I vowed to myself that next time Jeff comes up to visit my family with me, that we will go to Ouray again. Can you believe that boy has never been to Colorado?

I LOVE St. George

My cousin was recently married in the St. George so me, Jeff and the family went up to St. George for a weekend getaway. It was such a lovely break and so awesome to spend time with the family.
The sealing was so beautifully done and the happy couple couldn't keep their ear to ear grins from off their face. I was struck by how young and Innocent they seemed, even though they are both definitely of age to be married. I can't believe I was ever this young, so incredibly in love, and so pure. It was so obvious with them, which made it even the more beautiful.

The next morning we woke up early and prepared a little brunch for my aunt/old roomie. We were meeting up with her at a Spa in St. George where we were all getting some kind of treatment as a belated bridal shower party. In order to make the day a little more special my sisters and I decided to prepare a little surprise brunch for after the spa.

We were staying at my Uncle and Aunts second home in St. George which made for a beautiful little backdrop. The post-bride has always been a big fan of rainbows- in love with them ever since I can remember- so I thought it would be fun to have everything in a rainbow theme.

This picture below didn't turn out too well, but my favorite was the fruit rainbow. (I was trying to hurry and take a few pictures after setting it all up before the whole crowd arrived just a few minutes after me from the spa). The "table cloth" was just crepe paper streamers that I laid across the table in rainbow order. I even had a bucket of chocolate gold pieces near one of the table legs. All the decorations were from the dollar store and came in under $20. Perfect for a little last minute celebration!

Everyone ate (chicken salad, rolls, fruit, chips, pickles, olives, cupcakes, and lemonade/sprite mix), and stayed and talked for a couple of hours. It was such a nice visit and everyone was so relaxed from the spa.
Us sisters spent the rest of the day shopping after everyone else went home. Seriously! I told you this was a wonderful weekend. Weddings, spas, shopping, eating yummy food. Honestly, I needed this so much.

The next day us sisters got up late, watched old AMC movies, ate a big breakfast, then went out that afternoon for a hike. We went to Red Cliffs and we luckily hit it just right. There was plenty of water, which made the hike all the more fun on a hot-ish spring day. The hike was just as much fun as I remembered it being from the good ol' college days. This time though I had my nice camera that I was terrified of getting wet, so we had to do some hiking around and shifting to keep it nice and safe.

Some of the parts were a little more challenging then I remember too. Luckily thier were some nice men who didn't mind giving us girls a hand. So shameful to have to ask for help, but everyone in Utah is just so nice. (At least they were on this hike, that day.)

Not only was it just a fun relaxing weekend in St. George, but I also noticed that everyone really did seem to be so nice. There were also so many people out walking, running and playing around town all the time. It really does seem like such a nice little town and I am so glad I get to go up and visit family as often as I do. It almost makes me forget my trepidation about living in Utah, I think maybe I could handle it, but I'm sure if I lived there it would be a different story.

For now I'll take my weekends going to the temple, visiting with friends and family, shopping, and hiking. Lovely, lovely weekend!!

A Camping We Will Go- (hi ho, hi ho)

We went for a mini camping trip in Zion this last March, just a quick weekend trip. It was all too lovely and perfect. Jeff and I went up early to set up everybody's site on Friday because the army had half day (Arrested Development reference). We really just did it because no one wanted to set up a tent at night. That is the worst part of camping, tent pole meet my eye. No thanks.

Friday Jeff and I hit up Springdale for dinner after setting up camp. After dinner at the Pioneer Wagon (?) we strolled main street and went in all the gift shops. We are trying to send ourselves postcards from all our vacations with a few notes of what we did on the vacation. Postcards are much cheaper and easier to store then other chachkies. Once it got dark we headed back to camp and bleed our car battery dry watching old Buffy episodes. Having a mini date with the hubby on our mini camping trip was a nice surprise. Nobody else ended up showing up until wee hours of the night, which in camping terms is at like 10 at night.

The next morning we just chilled and eventually found our way to the Emerald Pools hike. (We originally planed to also do the Oak Creek trail as well but traded that hike for a nap instead.) Emerald Pools was such a great choice. The weather could not have been better and at the top of the three pools was a giant snow drift still melting away from winter. I've done this hike a number of times before, but this time was by far my favorite. Who would have known - go hiking in mid-March.

The hiking, lounging, and napping was wonderful, but the main event for me was the cooking. This was the first time in a long time that I had gone camping without any "real" adults. I usually let the "real" adults cook me up a bunch of good grub, or just go with a can of soup or something when I camp solo. Jeff's parents have been great at gifting us a bunch of camping gear every Christmas since we got married though, so we finally busted all of it out, the stoves, the tables, and the DUTCH OVEN!

I have to say that my first round of real camping cooking went swimmingly thanks to the Bame's. Jeffs dad provided me with a couple tried and true Dutch Oven recipies. Because I am so nice I'll share them here too!

We had a really great time. This mini camping trip was test run for hopefully more extensive camping trip to come. So much more relaxing then running all the weekend errands and cleaning the house. I will take this kind of weekend anytime!

Breakfast:

Eggs (1.5 for each person)

2 cups of milk

1 package of bacon

1 package of sausage

2 medium bags of hashbrowns

cheese or salsa

Place liner in the dutch oven. Layer the bottom with bacon, then layer 1/2 the hashbrowns, sausages, and the rest of the bacon. Repeat layer (minus bacon). Poor eggs and milk mixture over the top. (Eggs, milk and salt and paper should be consistancy of srambled eggs.) Bake at 350 for an hour. Once done top with cheese or salsa or just each plain because it is so yummy!

Dinner:

1 Chicken breast a person

Sliced thin potatoes (as many as you want, never enough potatoes)

1pack of Stoffer Stuffing

2-3 cans of Cream of Chicken Soup

Onions

Oil

Line Dutch oven. Put a little oil on the bottom. Layer thinly sliced potatoes and chicken. Pour in 1/2 of the soup and sliced onions, repeat layers. 15 min before it's completed pour in Stoffer Stuffing mixture on the top. Bake at 350 for an hour. (Can use cheese soup or mushroom soup too).

Dessert:

2 Jars (3 Cans) of Pie Filling.

White Cake Mix

1 can soda (sprite)

seasoning mixture (cinnomin, nutmeg, sugar- to taste)

Put fruit mixture on the bottom of lined dutch oven. Sprinkle seasonings over fruit. In a bag, mix the cake with a can of soda. Pour the cake mixture over the fruit and bake- you guessed it- an hour at 350. YUM!

30 X 30: Road Trip

I finally took one off my list, the Road Trip!

1) Have my hair professionally dyed a dark auburn.

2) Go on a 'real' date with Jeff once a month, no family members invited.

3) Blog once a month.

4) Update my wardrobe with at least 5 fun and totally non-essential items.

5) Lose 20 lbs, feel more fit.

6) Take a road trip.

7) Organize the garage and all our tools.

8) Re-vamp the office. It needs an overhaul.

9) "Grow up" our decorating style a little.

10) Paint the hallway and stairwell.

11) Frame the dried flowers from our wedding.

12) Print the disposable camera pictures from our wedding.

13) Make a window treatment for the kitchen window.

14) Complete 5 crafts from the Martha Stewart Encyclopedia of Crafts.

15) Find at least 5 go-to recipes from "Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker Cook Book."

16) Take better pictures with my Nikon.

17) Write, record, memorialize my grandparents history.

18) Sew something.

19) Decide if I'm going back to school and for what.

20) Stop drinking caffeinated soda.

21) Tithes.

22) Pray more.

23) Go to the temple once a quarter (4 times a year)

24) Read the Book of Mormon again.

25) Get preggo.

26) If preggo, decorate the cutest nursery ever!

27) Read 6 books.

28) Reduce our monthly expenses by 10%

29) Learn how to play my favorite piano song from the Sense and Sensibility movie.

30) Take a trip with just Jeff and I for our 30th birthdays.

A couple weeks ago 'the girls' (meaning Heather, Lora, Sage & Jade, as always) and I went on a little day long road trip to Rhyolite, NV.

Like the dork that I am, I did a little research so that I could be the 'tour guide' for the day. The research simply went on notecards in my back pocket. (Don't worry, I wont bore you with the history lessons here on the blog). Rhyolite is just a couple hours outside of Vegas and makes for a great day trip.

We started the fun at the candy shop in Beatty, NV while eating Subway for lunch. After the candy shop we took the 11 mile trek out of town and walked around Rhyolite. On the road we shared our mounds of yummy candy goodness.

It was interesting to see a town that was all but washed away. Even though it may be the most popular "ghost town" in Nevada, it wasn't scary at all, mostly just sadly interesting. I couldn't help of think of Las Vegas and our own recent boom and bust cycle, our own empty and abandoned buildings.

We ended the day by stoping in Pharump on the way home and having dinner with the grandparents. It was by all accounts a very lovely day. Their were no boys, no complaining, no work, no nonsense. We girls just had a wonderful day together and I loved it!

Spring has Sprung

Spring has come and we've been reveling in it for the last few weeks. (It seems to come a little earlier here in Vegas, even if the official start wasn't until today.) We took a quick trip up to St.George with my family to go hiking and see the Grandparents.


The Three Patriarchs at Zions


Jeff & me at emerald pools


We had the tripod so we took advantage of the scenery and took some family pictures. I think this one is our favorite.

The following weekend we still weren't done enjoying the great weather, so we went on a local hike to Anniversary Mine. Jeff forgot the camera when Heather, Jeff, and I went, but later that same week Jeff took two of his sisters on the same hike and remembered the camera.


Jeff in one of the mine tunnels in the canyon.


Jeff and Amanda trying out a Star Wars pose.

All the mean while I've been doing some spring cleaning. Even though we've been in this house a little over a year now, a surprising amount of stuff is still sitting exactly where we set it down when we were moving in. So, each week I am taking on a new area that needs to be organized.

I've tackled under the kitchen sink, the linen closet, and the laundry area. Next on the list is the garage. We took a truck load of stuff to the D.I. a couple of weeks ago. I still had most of my high school clothes AND every formal dress I ever wore. RIDICULOUS! I know, but now they are gone. I didn't even shed a tear. I know I'll NEVER fit into those things again, and even if I did, I'm sure it wouldn't be in style. I don't know why I keep these things.

I've also been trying to paint the upstairs and am having a hard time finding the perfect light gray.

Not to mention finishing painting a single room. The hall and study are half painted and primed and have been in total disarray for a good two weeks. I find it's much too pretty outside to be inside painting, but I know I'll regret it once it gets hot and I'm painting the hall in the muggy heat.

Another thing that will be new this spring, besides a more organized space, is that I was offered a new job. I am hopeful, excited, nervous, and little sad to leave my current position. BUT, with the extra cash on hand we'll be able to take on a couple more projects around the house sooner than we'd planned. That of course makes me monsterously happy.

Before summer hits we'll be installing ceiling lights and fans in the bedrooms upstairs. Does anyone know a good electrian or how to find one? Then this summer I want to take on our study. Right now it's where all of my single life, college furniture goes to die. It'd be nice to have a real study/office space. I'm excited for a newly decorated space and the challanges that come with navagating a new office and job title.

Finally, guess who turned SIXTEEN yesterday? Yep. My little Sage is 16. I can barely believe it.


Sage on her birthday

Remember that age? It was so fun having such little responsibility. Yet, life seemed so serious and you thought you knew everything already (at least I did). I honestly fear the day this girl gets her license! I'll post a warning on our blog maybe :)

THE BEAST MASTER

Elder Travis Bame has returned home from his mission in El Salvador!! We are so excited to have Travis home and so proud of him for serving an honorable mission. It's been fun to read his letters, and for me, experience having a brother on mission, as we are all girls on my side of the family.








With his coming home we have been hanging out with the Bame family a lot the past couple months. The weekend after he came home we went to San Diego for our annual Halloween beach camping trip. Heather, my sister, also joined us. We had a lot of fun just playing in the waves (or for Jeff, reading his book, dry on the beach) and hanging out around the campfire. The weather was perfect and the company was superb.

The next weekend we had the Bame's over for Taco Night at our house. I tried my best to figure out how to cook for 10 people instead of our regular twosome. Luckily, tacos' are simple because my culinary skills are greatly lacking. After dinner the girls stayed over and played rockband.


(Right: Becky on drums, Amber on lead guitar, Natalie slappin' the bass, Jeff rockin' the mic, and Amanda our band-aid)

Saturday and Sunday we spent over at Kieth and Nanette's' hanging out with cousins, aunts and uncles. At church on Sunday Travis gave his "homecoming" talk and Aaron played an awesome musical number on the violin. We love spending time with the family, it's rare when everyone can get together like this with such a large family.

All the RM's in attendace

The following Wed. was Veterans day so we rallied up our "troops" to go hiking at Red Rock and have a picnic. It was a perfect cool, overcast day.



(To the right: Sage, Amber, Jeff, Shela, Jade, Heather, Travis, Bailey, Abbey, Natalie)


We've been kept really busy the last few weeks and I have a feeling with Birthdays and the Holidays coming up that it wont slow down anytime soon. I can't wait for Thanksgiving when we get to be together with all our family again.